Type-writing machine.



. I PATENTED JUNE 2, 1908 B. 0. STIGKNBY. v TYPE WRITING MACHINE.

ION FILED MAY 24, 1904;-

IIIIIIIIIIIIIII h 5a M/Vf/VTOR tion.

. U inn s raras PATENT OFFICE.

BURNHAM C. STICKNEY, 0F ELIZABETH, NEW JERSEY.

TYPE-WRITING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 2, 1908.

Application filed May 24, 1904. Serial 30. 209,432.

To all whom it mag concern:-

Be it known that I, B RNHAMC. STICK- NEYf'a: citizen of the United States, residing in Elizabeth, in the county of Union and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and. useful Improvements in Typel/Vriting Machines, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to ty e-bar madunes of the visible writing 0 ass, such as top-strike and front-strike machines.- In' such machines the types are necessarily as sembled closely side by side, and in consequence the type-bars are apt to clash, especially when the machine is in 'ra id opera- To a great extent, such clashing is due to the proximity of type-bars or types which proximity of frequently combined letters isthe key-levers, the type-basket .be .ing th'e same as that of the levers, andthe are not only frequently used," but are also often written in immediate succession; there not being sufficient time for. one of such types to come to rest before the next is operated, so that the types strike or catch another, which of courseiis a great objection. As an example,in the Underwood style of front strike machine, it is the usual-practice .to place the'type E close byJh-e side of the type D, and since in numefousjwords these letters are written in immediatea es-g sion, considerable. interference 'occu'rs, be tween these types.

the types C and R, and of the types u n m, UN]! and HUM, uMag a '1 and O,. and L. TlllS undesirable due'to the arrangement of order of the types in the latter agreeing withthe order of th'ekeys. Theiorder of said levers, as well as of the types, is usually as follows: Q A 2 Z VV S 3 X ED LCRFZSVTGEG BY H7 NUJS M I K 9 O L P amLby reason of this order of the types, it will be seen that clashiiig is liable to arise between other frequently used letters than those above insta'nced. Saidr order of the levers agreeswith the order of the keys, which arearranged in four banks and are regularly mounted uporl the levers, everyfourth lever having a key in the same bank; the rear bank of keys being inthe following order: 2 '3 6 7 8 9 the next bank having the order Q W E R T U I O P the next bank= having the order -AS DF G H' J K L' and the front bank havingsthe order' ZXOVBNM',

Thus it will be seen that the first-key lever (Q) falls in the next to the 'rear key-bank, the second lever (A) in the next to the front bank, the third lever (2) in the rear bank, the-fourth lever (Z) in the front bank, and so on in regular alternation. This disposition of the keys and levers gives theadvantage that the keys are symmetrically disposed in compact space, with -maximum room for their operation; but, as already pointed out, the disadvantage due to the order of the types in the basket is uite speed. I

p The object of the present invention is to overcome the 'difliculty above explained, without re-arranging the rincipal keys, and

offsetting the keys from the levers.

.fied like signs.

. The keys in the rear bank are designated as 20, those in the next forward bank as 21, those in the next bank as 22, and those in the front "bank as 23; and-the order of the keys in the several banks is the same as that already mentioned. The keys are fixed u on the springs 26, and connected by he l-cranks '27 to type-bars '28, the latter being pivoted upon a curved fulcrum rod 29, and extending forwardly therefrom, and carrying upon their forward ends ty es 30, each typehaving both upperoase'ant lower-case letters *or charwhenoperated, swing upwardly and reap wardly, as indicated by the dotted curved line, against a platen (not shown).

Asusual in the Underwood machine, the key-levers lieQside by si'deand spacedjthat i s,.rnounted at uniform interseriou-s when. the machine is operated at' igh my iin rovements are illustrated as applied levers. Fig. 4 illustrates different ways of 'In the several views, like parts are identiforward ends of levers '24 of various e th fulcrunred upon a Tod 25, Su ported are evenly ya'ls. The keys are also evenly spaced and symmetrically arranged, in the manner alpreferably without in the east disturbing the Fig. 3 is a plan of the a acters, as seen at Fig. 2. The type-bars,

ready detailed. I In the preferred form of my invention, however, each key, instead of be ing centered directly upon its key-lever as heretofore generally practiced, is offset therefrom, to either one side or the other, and some keys are more offset than others (see Fig. 4).

I am aware that keys usually are of sufficient size to overhang the adjoining levers, and I do not claim broadly the idea of having the key overhang more upon one side of the lever than upon the other side thereof. In nearly all instances at Fig. 3, the center of the key Falls midway between two levers to one of which the key is attached, so that, inlaying, out a keyboard, it becomes practicable to attach the key with equal facility to either of two levers, which is an advantage, in that it simplifies the manner of causing the order of the levers (and hence of the types) to be different from the usual order above detailed. The offsetting of the keys from the levers of course makes no difference to the o erator, as the relationof the keys tnterse is unc anged. It should furtherbe pointed out that each of the keys really overhangs four levers, thus making it practicable to attach each key to any one of the four levers thereunder. Therefore by rop erly attaching the keys, the order of the Ievers may be considerably varied withoutvarying the order of the keys.

The first key Q""is set a little to the left of its lever and the same is true of keys A and 2 the key S. Thus the first six levers, and hence the first six types, have the order Q A 2 W Z S, instead of the usual order Q A 2 Z IN S. The infrequently used type Z is therefore interposed between the frequently em ployed types W and S which are often written in succession, and hence the liability of clashing of the ty e-bars S and H the selected lever sufficiently long to reach to the front bank, the fifth being selected so as to bring the Z lever between the W lever and the 'S lever, thus giving the types'the desired order, without the necessity of crossing any connection between the key and the ty e. It is further obvious that in planning a eyboard according to my in.-

vention, it would be practicable to attach the W key to any. one of the four levers that it overhangs, viz., the third, fourth, fifth and sixth, so that the invention is not limited to the recise order of the levers illustrated. The eye may be offset in various ways; the

to clash.

The fourth lever bears the key W, thev fifth the key and the sixth forward end of the lever Z being illustrated as bent laterally at 81, to bring the key-stem beneath the same portion of the key as in the cases-of the keys Q, A and 2 so that the stems may generally be attached in the same manner to all the keys, the latter being of duplicate construction. By similar arrangement, the X lever is caused to fall between the E and D levers, thusv avoiding the liability of the clashing of the types E and D, which are not only very frequently employed, but are very often written in succession. The key 4 is also connected to the lever which falls between the levers C and R; the center of the ty e 4 falling between the tenth and eleventh levers, but being attached to the twelfth lever; the eleventh lever bein C and the thirteenth R. The usua socket 32 of the key 4 may have an offset portion 33 to bear the key (Fig. 4.) In this manner the character lever 5 is caused to fall between the levers R and F, the 6 between B and Y, the 7 between Y and "H, the J between N and U, the K between M and I, andthe hyphen mark between 0 and L. The types have of course a correspending arrangement, the frequently used types thus being well separated and not apt In the form of the invention illustrated, the keys which are connected to the outer levers of their respective four-lever (47), 6 ((UI), ((1,7) (F), (H), L, Z and X By four-lever groups I mean the four levers beneath each key, to any one of which the key may conveniently be attached. Each of the remaining keys is attached to either one or the other of the middle levers of its group.

At Figs. 2 and 3 it will be seen that the types and levers have the following order, viz.: QA2'WZS3EXDC4R5'FVT GB6Y7HNJU8MKI9,0L.P;. The keys are variously offset from the levers in a manner such that levers for infrequent letters or characters occur in all cases immediately between levers for frequent letters that are often written in immediate succession. Each of the levers 4, 6, U, ('17) F7), ((H77, KIIJ7I) KIJ)! (X-I) extra offsetkey, each such key having its center midway between the levers that adjoin its own lever,as for instance the center of key 4 is midway between levers D and C which adjoin the lever 4. Four levers (E, X, D and C) intervene between the levers of the laterally adjoining keys .3 and 4; four levers between the levers of the laterally adjoiningkeys E and R; five between the levers 5' and 6; three between the levers 2 and 3 and in other instances: two between the levers (W-and and also between L and and only e e between""4 and is 5 or between 6 and 7. This arrangement'would be varied in carrying out my invention in different ways.

The keys may be attached in the .usual manner, their bottom disks-being perforated, however, at one side of the center, for attachment to the sockets 32.

Having thus described my invention, I

lying close together substantially in the order of said levers, a system of pivoted bars carrying said'types; and means for enabling said levers'to operate said type bars.

2. .In a front strike Writing machine, the combination of a system of levers lying side by side and spaced with substantial uniformity; banks of keys fixed upon said levers, the keys 'in the several banks being arranged at substantially uniform intervals,

but being generally offset from said levers,

some being offset to one side and others to the otherside of their levers, in a manner such that the order of the keys differs from the'order of the levers and so that levers for infrequent letters or characters generally occur immediately between levers for frequent letters that are often written in immediate succession; a system of' types lying close together substantially in the-order of said'levers; a system of pivoted bars carrying said types; and means for enabling said levers to operat said type bars.

3. In a type writing machine, the combination of a system of keys regularly disposed in four banks; the keys in the rear bank having substantially the order 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 the keys in the next bank having sub stantially the order QVV E R T Y U I O P, the keys in the next bank havingsubstantially the order A S D F G H J K L and the keys in the front bank having substantially the order Z X C V B N M levers bearing said keys and having substantially the orderQ A2 W Z 8,3 EX D C 4 R 5 F V TGB6Y 7HNJU8MKI9.,O L .P said keys being variously offset from said levers to effect the specified difference between the order of the keys and the order of the levers; a system-of types lying closely together and having substantially the same order as said levers; bars upon which the types are carried: and connections from the levers to the type bars.

4. In a typewritingmachine, the combinationwith a system of levers mounted side by side at substantially uniform intervals, of a system of keys arranged in banks and fixed upon; said levers and voiiset therefrom in such a manner that the order of the keys differs from the order of the levers; said keys generally being oifset from the levers, to such an extent that the centers of the keys fall midway between the levers, and several of the keys having an extra offset, each of the latter keys having itscenter midway between the levers that adjoin its own lever; a system of types lying closely together and having substantially the same order as said levers; bars upon which the types are carried; and connections from the levers to the type bars.

- 5. In a typewritin machine, the combination with a system 0 levers mounted-side by side, of a system of keys arranged in four banks and fixed upon-said leversbut offset variously therefrom in such a manner that a the order of the keys differs from'theorder' of the levers and so that in someinstances less than three andin other instances more than three levers intervene between the levers of adjoining keys in the same bank; a system oftypes lying closely together and having substantially the same order as said levers; bars upon which the types are carried; ind connections from the levers to the type ars.

6. In a type'writin machine; the combination with a system of levers mounted side by side, of a system of keys arranged in four banks and borne upon said levers butofl'set variously therefrom in opposite directions in such a manner that the order of the keys differs from the order of the levers in some cases one, and in other instances two,.in still other instances three, and in still other instances four levers intervene between the levers of laterally adjoining keys; a system of types lying closely together and having substantially the same order as said levers; bars upon which the types are carried; and connections from the levers to the type barsI 7. In a front strike writing machine, the combination of a system of levers and a system of keys borne upon said levers; said keys being symmetrically arranged in banks,"and

the keys in each bank being variously offset indifferent directions from their respective levers, in such a manner that the order of the keys differs from the order of thelevers and so that levers for infrequent letters or char acters generally occur immediately between levers for frequent letters that are often written in immediate succession; a system of types lying close together'substantially in the order ofsaid levers; a system of pivoted bars carrying said types;'and means for enabling said levers to operate said type bars.

8. In a typewriting machine, the combina-v tion with keys extending in theusual diagonal rows upon the keyboard, of types having a different order from the keys, and levers upon which the keys are mounted in offset relation in such a mannerthat the-order of the keys differs from the order of the levers.

'5 9. In a typewriting machine, the combi nation of two levers p aced side by side, keys offset in opposite directions from said levers to make 'the orderof the keys the reverse of .the order'o'f the levers; and,typebars set close together and having the same order as the levers and connected thereto.

1-0. In a ty ewriting machine, the combination of two evers placed side by side, keys offset in opposite directions from said levers- I the order ofthe levers the evers upon both sides of said levers having keys offset therefrom to compensate for the offsetting of the first-mentioned ke. s and conduce to the symmetry of the eyboard; and type-bars set close together and having the same order as the levers and connected thereto.

12. In a ty ewriting machine, the combination of two evers placed side by side, keys offset in opposite directions from said levers,

. as one key immediately behindthe other,. a.

third lever atone side of said levers and having a key offset therefrom, to occupy the position between the first and second keys; and

typebars set close together and having the 40 same order as the levers and connected thereto.

13. In a typewriting machine, the combination of two levers placed side byside, keys offset in opposite directions from said levers,

one key immediately behind the other, a third lever at one side of said levers and having a key offset therefrom, to occupy the position between the first and second keys, the third key being offset materially-more than either of the other keys; andtype-bar's set close together and having the same order as the levers and connected thereto.

14. In a typewriting machine, the combination of two levers placed side by side, keys offset in opposite directions from said levers,

one key immediately behind the other, a third lever at one side of said levers and havinga key oflset therefrom, to occupy the position between the first and second keys, a. key-bank intervening between the third key and the first two keys; and type-bars set close together and having the same order as the levers and connected thereto.

15. In a typewriting machine, the combination of a system of keys arranged in banks in symmetrical order, a system of key levers bearing said keys on their ends, said key levers being ofdifierent lengths to corres 0nd with the different banksof keys and eing arranged in disordered echelon, and the i0 keys being variously offset to different extents some to one side and some to the other of their levers, to make the transverse order of the keys substantiall different from the transverse order of the evers, and a system of type-bars lying'close togetherand having the same order as the levers.

16. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a system of key levers, of a system ofkeys mounted thereon, the center of each key being midway 'between the adjoin ing levers, some of the ke sbeing offset to the left and others to the right from said adjoining levers, and some of the keys being attached to levers at the immediate left of I said adjoining levers, and other keys being attached tolevers at the immediate right of said adjoining levers, to make the transverse order of the levers diflerent from that of the keys, and bring infrequently used levers between levers which are frequently used consecutively, and a system of type-bars lying close together and having thesame order as the levers.

17. The combination of three levers having keys offset to the left, afourth lever having a key offset to the right, and a fifth lever having a key offset to'the leftsufficiently to bring it between the third and fourth keys, and type-bars set close togetherand havmg the same order as the levers and connected thereto.

' 18. A keyboard'in which each key overhangs four levers, the center ofthe key being about midway of the spaceof the middle le- 

